If you are running a small business, one of your aims for 2009 is likely to be to raise your business profile and reach more customers. PR is a great way to do this, and with budgets being tight this year you may want to do your own PR.

Writing a press release is straightforward: you can find a template to download at www.prbasics.co.uk. If you need an expert edit on what you have written, I offer a press release health check for £30. But, how do you get it to the journalists who can give you the coverage you need?

There are lots of press release distribution services, and journalism.co.uk have put together a summary of the cost of each of them, plus where they reach. Of course, they are doing this because they think you should use their service: I can’t tell you if it is better than the other services. I’ve tended to use Response Source myself which always gets me some coverage, usually from a publication I would not have expected to cover the release. I have also been trialling Beauty4Media for a client which has got sample requests from a range of publications. You should check out each site and see where they distribute to: Sourcewire, for example, is mainly for tech topics.

It can seem daunting when you are starting to learn about promoting your business. I’ve written a template to help you plan PR, marketing and advertising. On the same page, you can also find a template to help you write a press release. I hope these free tools make it easier for you to learn to promote your business, reach more customers and build sales.

Use the ACPR media contacts database: the quickest way to get in touch with editors and journalists on national and local parenting magazines. Up to the minute data for contactcs at 20 national parenting magazines, 90+ local parenting magazines and 50+ parenting websites, plus journalists with an interest in parenting from other media. Don’t miss out on the best way to promote your baby or child business and generate valuable free coverage.

Antonia Chitty struggled with post natal depression after the birth of her daughter. She thought returning to work might make her feel back in control, but she found she didn’t see enough of Daisy. After 9 months and a chat with a life coach she took the plunge and set up her own business, ACPR, helping mumpreneurs learn to promote their business. Antonia has now written a book which makes it even easier for every businessmum to get the word out about their enterprise.

A guide to Promoting Your Business is created with busy business parents in mind, and can be worked through in short sections when you have a few minutes - perfect if you are running a business round the kids. Clear explanations, examples and exercises make it easy to pick up the essentials skills to boost your business. (more…)

Publication has been suspended on Pregnancy, Baby and You magazine. In some ways this is unsurprising. Magicalia has acquired a number of parenting magazines in the last year and inevitably would pick out the weaker ones. However Pregnancy, Baby and You had developed enormously under the editorships of Claire Roberts and then Emma Hartfield. Let’s hope suspended does only mean suspended and it will be back soon.

Sometimes it is easy to be confused between Editorial and Advertorial
Editorial is what the publication’s journalists write. they may research a news story or use information from a press release, but it is up to them what they include. You have no control over what they write. This makes up most of the content of most good media.
Advertorial is paid for, like an advertisement. A business may decide that potential customers will be more influenced by an article promoting their business. They pay for the space, and fill it with an article, often in a similar style to the rest of the publication. You can spot advertorials though as they must have ‘promotion’ or ‘advertisement’ printed above the text.

Visit My Baby Radio to hear me talk about A Guide to Promoting Your Business.

Women’s magazine eve is closing after the recent revamp has failed to turn a profit.

If you want the fastest way to get to the people who can provide editorial coverage, get the ACPR parenting media contacts database. Up-to-date, this is the same database I use every week to promote my PR clients. With contacts at national parenting magazines in the UK and Ireland, plus details of local parenting magazines, parenting websites and journalists with an interest in parenting in the national media, this database can make your PR far more effective. Just £125, you will save hours of your time: the cost is far less than buying all the magazines and laboriously ploughing through to find contacts too. Pay electronically using our secure payment provider and the database can be with you on the same day so you can start promoting your business to the right editors right away.

If you are planning this month’s PR, here are the topics to focus on:
News pages are being completed for November: you are just in time to get coverage if you have a topical event - contact the editorial assistant if you are unsure who handles the news pages in your target publication.
Features writers are looking at wrapping up their Christmas stories. If you have had something amazing happen to you at Christmas get in touch with some of the real life magazines.
You may be in time for a few last minute Christmas product features, but you are probably better looking at ideas for the New Year - will any of your products help with detoxing, New Year Resolutions or generally making a fresh start?
If you want some personal help pinning down an angle that will get your business covered, email antonia@acpr.co.uk.